A safe hydraulic drive system and process, comprising at least one first cylinder chamber and a second, separate cylinder chamber which are connected to one another via a connecting line to form a fluid-filled hydraulic circuit, and a hydraulic drive for conveying the fluid from one cylinder chamber, via the connecting line, into the other cylinder chamber in which the connecting line is arranged. The connecting line has at least one parallel system, between the hydraulic drive and one of the two cylinder chambers, including at least one first sub-connection with at least one first stop valve and a second sub-connection with a baffle arranged therein. The connecting line, excluding the second sub-connection, has a first flow resistance and the second sub-connection has a second flow resistance due to the baffle arranged therein, which is greater than the first flow resistance for the fluid, wherein the drive system is provided with at least one open first stop valve in normal mode and with a closed first stop valve in safe mode for conveying the fluid, and a suitably high second flow resistance has been selected so that a maximum permissible speed for a piston rod is not exceeded in safe mode, even when an external force acts on the drive system in the direction of movement of the piston rod.